Military facing scrutiny for renaming bases as military recruitment dwindles
Army veteran John James joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the fallout over the politicization of the military.
The military is facing scrutiny for focusing its efforts on renaming military bases while various branches struggle to meet their recruitment thresholds.
Army veteran and Michigan congressional candidate John James joined "Fox & Friends" to discuss what he believes the military should be focused on as recruitment dwindles.
"I have no problem with renaming posts to get rid of that legacy, but at the same time, we shouldn't forget our history, we should learn from it," James told co-host Brian Kilmeade. "What I'm most concerned with is those soldiers on Fort Bragg in the past two years. There have been over 14 fentanyl overdoses. That's what I'm concerned with."
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"I'm concerned with this administration's lax agenda that's leaving our borders open, that's letting this Chinese-made fentanyl come into our communities and poison our communities," he continued. "I'm actually so focused on doing what it takes to keep our nation safe, our communities safe, our soldiers safe."
FILE - A sign is seen at Fort Bragg on Feb. 3, 2022, in Fort Bragg, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin endorsed the move to rename military bases with Confederate ties last week, which includes nine Army bases. Some bases include Forts Benning and Gordon in Georgia, Forts Lee, A.P Hill and Pickett in Virginia, and Fort Bragg in North Carolina.
The decision will also impact symbols, displays, and monuments on military bases as well.
But James said the Pentagon needs to shift its focus elsewhere to keep its competitive edge globally.
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"The root of this, I believe, is you have the left that's teaching our young children, our young kids, that this country is a country of racist colonizers, and the number one threat is voting for Donald Trump," James said. "And we're surprised… when the left tells you that you shouldn't stand for the flag, and now we're surprised when our young people won't stand up to defend for freedom."
FORT BRAGG, NC - FEBRUARY 14: Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne division walk across the tarmac at Green Ramp to deploy to Poland on February 14, 2022 at Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, North Carolina. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images) ((Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images))
"I think that we have to address the root cause," he continued. "We have to be proud of our nation."
Various branches have struggled to meet their recruitment goals, with some critics pointing to the vaccine mandate.
The Army, specifically, has fallen 25% short of meeting its recruitment goal this year, which amounts to 15,000 soldiers.
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